Helen Bertocci goes over December 14 again and again in her mind.
At 2.45pm that day, everything changed for her Altona North family.
Roger Bertocci, 46, was fatally stabbed about 200 metres from his Knapp Street home after going to the aid of a pregnant woman allegedly being attacked by a man.
He left behind his wife, Helen, and their two daughters, Ashlee, 14, and Brylee, 18 months.
The family last week launched a GoFundMe campaign For Roger’s Girls aimed at raising $5000 for a garden makeover that Mr Bertocci had planned before his death.
The campaign had raised $11,500 as of Tuesday.
Mrs Bertocci said her husband was in high spirits and joyous the day he died.
“He only had a week of work left and then we were going away to Swan Hill for a week. Then his plans were to start working on our garden.”
Mrs Bertocci had taken the couple’s baby and gone Christmas shopping at Hoppers Crossing. When she got home, there were police in her street and choppers were hovering overhead.
After an hour and a half went by, Mrs Bertocci started to wonder where her husband was. Eventually, homicide detectives turned up.
“When I saw that black car pull up and those guys in those suits walk out, I just grabbed my eldest and I just shook her and I yelled at her and I screamed, ‘You need to prepare yourself, this isn’t good’,” Mrs Bertocci said.
“I literally felt like I had to pinch myself and pinch these three guys that were in my lounge room – like, are we in a movie?”
Mrs Bertocci had known Roger for more than 26 years and said they had worked hard to buy their Altona North home 13 years ago.
“What’s happened within my house has been fabulous memories,” she said.
“The community has been wonderful. People are amazing. You just realise how closeknit Altona, Altona North is as a community.
“Just don’t take anything for granted. Just realising how joyous he was that day … I wish I had acknowledged his happy-go-lucky spirit a bit more throughout the course of that morning.”
For more information or to donate, go to www.gofundme.com/ForRogersGirls.
